We're going to try to put a big dent into the remaining schedule today, beginning with...
Toyota Arena, Freedom: Nikolai v. Gizmo. The red cue, fresh off of this morning's make-up series from last night, will play 10-ball here. Game 1 started slow and ended a bit streaky, with each player getting a two-ball run before Central's Gizmo scratched as he made the 9. Freedom's Nikolai iced his win with the 10 in the top side, going up 1-0 in the series. The Cascades' Nikolai took a messy game 2 with a three-ball run-out in the end, coming after the Warriors' Gizmo scratched on the 6, allowing Nikolai to work from ball-in-hand en route to a 2-0 series lead. Gizmo had a thrilling finish to his game 3 win, watching Nikolai jam the 7 and 8 at the top left. Gizmo couldn't make it, but Nikolai took it on the second try and did a three-ball run, only to ham the 10 out of the top side on a classic bank finish attempt. Gizmo potted the 10 to the bottom left, cutting the series to 2-1 in the process. Nikolai was pretty sure when he missed the 6 that he'd get the game back, and in game 4, he was right, as Gizmo missed on the 8, allowing Nikolai to make it and the 10 on good cuts to win and take a strong 3-1 series lead. Gizmo came on strong in the latter half of game 5, piecing together a four-ball run of inward-facing cuts to the corners around the table, but he couldn't get the 10 on a similar shot. He left the cue snookered by one edge of the top right, forcing Nikolai into the closest thing to perfection in a single shot. Nikolai used left spin off the other edge of the pocket to get legal contact on the 10, but he couldn't put it away at the bottom right, and Gizmo made it for the win to make it 3-2 in the series. Nikolai came up with a highlight reel finish in game 6 instead, battling evenly with Gizmo until his miss on the 4 set Nikolai up to pot it and then do a 6-10 kick combination to the top side for the win, giving Nikolai a 4-2 series lead. Nikolai didn't shoot all that well at the start of game 7, but turned up the precision with a five-ball run-out to get the win over Gizmo in the end, making it a 5-2 series win for himself. Ranked #11 in 10-ball, Nikolai will host Acorn of the Lighton Prestige at this venue for the bracket final. Gizmo is the 77th player to be eliminated from the tournament, and Nikolai has his second kill to keep his season going.
Nike Field Events Center, Commerce: Tigerette v. Roxy. After seeing her boyfriend win previously, Roxy gears up for an Accuracy series with the blue cue on the road against Tigerette. Commerce's Tigerette had the first and last misses in game 1, but this didn't matter when Freedom's Roxy had a bunch in between, giving Tigerette an easy 2-5 win to take a 1-0 series lead. The Cascades' Roxy shot right back with a game 2 victory by the same 2-5 score after the Tradewinds' Tigerette couldn't make anything of her poor break and fell far behind. Roxy's win tied the series at 1. Both players decided to put in poor efforts in game 3, with the final score barely favoring Tigerette 5-6 as Roxy missed her last shot with the game tied after Tigerette had missed two in a row. Tigerette made sure to bury this one, gaining a 2-1 series lead with the sloppy win. Roxy made sure game 4 would go differently, matching Tigerette shot for shot early on before inducing the star into two straight misses to end the game with a 1-3 Roxy win, tying the series at 2. Roxy couldn't find her shot quickly enough in game 5, falling behind even as Tigerette had a poor start. Tigerette buckled down after her pair of early misses, and rode the finish to a 2-5 win, making it 3-2 in the series favoring herself. Tigerette proved a bit more resilient than usual in game 6, limiting herself to just a single miss, with that coming directly after one by Roxy to keep things level. Roxy couldn't stay as disciplined, and Tigerette emerged with a 1-2 win, clinching the series at 4-2. Tigerette botched the finish of game 7 pretty badly, scratching after a made shot and then missing the last ball after Roxy missed it, allowing Roxy to redeem herself for a 2-3 win, which made it a 4-3 series win for Tigerette. Ranked #8 in Accuracy, Tigerette will host the bracket final at this venue.
McDonald's Hall, Atlantic: Americus v. Cowzart. The red cue is back in for some 15-ball. Atlantic's Americus played pretty well in game 1 but got nothing to show for it in the end, with Pearl's Cowzart making a good cut on the 15 to the top left to get the win after holding his own until a late break gave him a 1-0 series lead. The Surfers' Cowzart ended game 2 early with a four-ball run-out ending with the cue frozen on the 5. The shot was strong and out of the chaos, the 15 found the top right for the win, giving Cowzart a 2-0 series lead over the Pirates' Americus. Cowzart seemed to control the pace of play over the middle of game 3 quite readily, with Americus struggling to get a shot in, but Cowzart was rattled by a number of misses on the 10, and Americus made the last four balls over two turns to get the win to make it 2-1 in the series, with Cowzart still leading. Game 4 was relatively unremarkable but competitive, with both players exchanging shots throughout the game. The final came as Cowzart's three-ball run ended with a missed 14-15 combination attempt at the top right. Americus deftly kicked the 14 in before taking the 15 to the bottom right for the win to tie the series at 2. Frustration rose to a peak after both players missed the 10 from short range. Americus had ball-in-hand shortly after that and exploded into the shot, causing bad position for herself. Cowzart closed the game with a three-ball run-out, taking game 5 for a 3-2 series lead. Cowzart had a good and lucky finish to an electric game 6 that saw both players put up some of their best shots. Cowzart's finish saw him miss the 10 at the top left, but it came all the way back and brushed the 15 into the top right for the win, securing him the series at 4-2. Cowzart got luck again with the win in game 7, firing the 2 into a massive cluster of at least ten balls, and the 15 squirted out to the bottom side for the win. Cowzart took the series 5-2, and the #94 ranked 15-ball player will next oppose Americus' daughter, the Hummingbirds' Leandra, at Cisco Arena in Tysini in the bracket final. With the loss, Americus is the 79th player eliminated, but she has hope of working out with the Pirates in the future. They are done as a team and will begin their planning for the offseason.
Honda Driftwood Coliseum, Pearl: Neopolitan v. Snowball. The silver cue has three series in a row, beginning with this set of 12-ball. Swordpoint's Snowball had a good game 1 despite Pearl's Neopolitan serving up a good break herself, as Snowball was able to shoot more accurately and navigate Neopolitan's defense for a win to make it 1-0 in the series. The Blades' Snowball had a solid break in game 2, and she was a bit faster than the Surfers' Neopolitan to get her preliminary shots in. Neopolitan bounced back a bit, but got out of position, and missed contact allowed Snowball to make her final two balls from ball-in-hand for the win and a 2-0 series lead. Snowball surrendered a wild card ball in game 3 on the break, but had a good run lined up and established a lead. Neopolitan cut into the lead pretty deeply, but couldn't set up her final shot, and her missed contact allowed Snowball to finish the game and take a 3-0 series lead. Neopolitan made mincemeat of Snowball's break in game 4, double-potting the 4 and 7 to the top and bottom left pockets respectively to key a five-ball run. She narrowly missed the 2, but she got it on her next turn for the win, cutting the series to 3-1. In game 5, Snowball had a chance to capitalize on getting a wild card ball from Neopolitan's break, but she couldn't quite leave the defense in place on what was her last shot, and Neopolitan potted her final ball for the win, making it 3-2 in the series. Neopolitan dug herself a hole too deep to escape in game 6, giving up two wild card balls on successive turns, and then illegally potting the 3 with an unintentionally and tragically brilliant shot, allowing Snowball to pace the rest of the game with flexibility. She took her time to set up and win, clinching the series at 4-2. Snowball gave up a wild card ball to start game 7, and finished the game by potting Neopolitan's final ball for her, creating a win for Neopolitan and a 4-3 series win for Snowball. Ranked #53 in 12-ball, Snowball will host Lighton Prestige star Spirit in the bracket final from Gillette Center in Swordpoint as two historically elite players will battle to make the finals. Neopolitan is the 80th player to be eliminated from the tournament, and she falls as Snowball's second kill.
Home Depot Forum, Web City: Rainmane v. Crystal. The silver cue gets another nod for a series of 8-ball. Web City's Rainmane went big in game 1, answering a four-ball run from Queens' Crystal with a five-ball run-out with excellent positioning and execution involved, giving Rainmane a well-earned 1-0 series lead. The Flames' Crystal replied well in game 2, falling behind and scratching late only to play defense on the Spiders' Rainmane, who had no answer for it, allowing Crystal to eventually break out for a four-ball run-out from ball-in-hand, tying the series at 1 with her savvy win. Rainmane bounced back, taking control of game 3 from the start, and while she occasionally wavered, Crystal was unable to shoot her way back into the game, allowing Rainmane a late three-ball run and an easy line at the 8 on her next turn to get the win and retake the series lead at 2-1. Game 4 saw the momentum swing around wildly near the end, with Crystal putting up a four-ball run ending in a scratch, only for Rainmane to have a couple misses on her next two turns, even after a brilliant kick on the 7 to the top right. Rainmane missed the 8 wide of the bottom left, and Crystal made the 12 and then the 8 to win, tying the series again at 2. Crystal played well enough to earn the win in game 5, making a four-ball run and a three-ball run on consecutive turns, but Rainmane nearly took the game anyway. The only thing stopping her was her own cockiness, thinking she could shoot lefty on three straight shots. She did make the 8, but the cue scratched, gifting Crystal the win and a 3-2 series lead at a critical junction, which earned boos from the Web City faithful. They are certainly tired of watching their players screw good things up. Crystal was solid again, making two balls on the break in game 6, but she couldn't quite corral the 8 at the end of the game, and a much more focused and determined Rainmane potted the rebound from short range to get the win, tying the series at 3. Crystal dominated from the start of game 7. Rainmane tried a side break, but didn't get anything on it, and Crystal did work from there, with Rainmane unable to get a run going. Crystal tapped in the 8 at the top side to win and take the series 4-3. Ranked #73 for 8-ball, Crystal will host Rainmane's Spiders teammate, Sugar, at the Ebay Center in Queens in the bracket final. Rainmane is the 81st player eliminated from the tournament, and the Spiders may be looking to offload her via trade or cut after their disappointing year. Crystal has her first kill of the year, coming with her back against the wall.
Starbucks Arena, Archtown: Ruby v. Ms. Puppy. The silver cue's last appearance of the day is in 9-ball. Archtown's Ruby survived scratching on the break and watching Modernistic's Ms. Puppy go for a four-ball run, carrying some momentum into threatening late before missing the 8. Ruby made the last two shots to win and take a 1-0 series lead. The Union's Ms. Puppy answered with a bit of a smarted game 2, still making a couple of errors but with the Arrows' Ruby shooting just as erratically, allowing Ms. Puppy to do a four-ball run-out for the win, tying the series at 1. Ruby made a critical error in game 3, scratching as she made the 8 late in the game after playing reasonably well up to that point. Ms. Puppy made no mistake, driving the 9 to the top right to get the win and a 2-1 series lead. Ruby didn't exactly make game 4 easy on herself, struggling through a lot of it, but she knew when to capitalize against Ms. Puppy, who missed on the 9, allowing Ruby to tap it in and get the win, tying the series at 2. Ruby came out blazing in game 5, challenging Ms. Puppy pretty strongly, and she ended up with the win on a three-ball run-out after Ms. Puppy couldn't make the 5. Ruby leads the series 3-2 with the short burst of talent. Ruby was certainly set to take game 6, working a late three-ball run after having dominated the early stages of the game, but she twice missed on the 9, and Ms. Puppy buried her second chance on it, winning to tie the series at 3 and set up a big finale between these club-mates. In game 7, Ruby had Ms. Puppy in trouble, but ended a three-ball run at one point and couldn't corral the 9 on the next turn, allowing Ms. Puppy to get out from the pressure and take the win for a 4-3 series win. The #42 ranked 9-ball player will head south from her home to face the Shores' Wild Thing at Samsung Arena in Whitewater.
Microsoft Center, Del Sur: Panda v. Jennifer Livilotti. The red cue comes on for a series of Rotation. Terrace City's Jennifer showed a cooler head against a bit of an agitated Panda of Southern, who at one point potted the 7 but sent the cue off the table, where it killed an ant on the floor. Jennifer used the ball-in-hand to ice her 8-2 win, and she leads 1-0 in the series. The Monarchs' Panda was a bit better in this game, tying the game on three occasions, but none of these lasted long enough for him, and the Knights' Jennifer turned the last one around from ball-in-hand after a scratch to win 8-6 with the last two shots, giving her a 2-0 series lead. Jennifer split the difference in game 3, still significantly outplaying Panda but only to a score of 8-4 this time as she makes it a 3-0 series lead for herself against the hapless host. Game 4 featured a thrilling finish, as Jennifer got to the verge of advancing with a five-ball run, missing narrowly on the 9. Panda buried the 9, and then magic happened. On the next shot, Panda pulled within one as the 12-15 combination to the top right saw the 12 follow in for the double-pot. Panda upped the skill on the next shot, pulling the same maneuver on a bank combination of the 13-14 to the bottom side, with the 13 following to make it an 8-7 win, cutting the series to 3-1. This amazing comeback only delayed the inevitable, as Jennifer cashed in on Panda being too amped up to keep calm, and his shooting returned to wild while Jennifer was composed enough to make the final two shots, winning 8-6 in a sloppy game 5 that clinched her the series at 4-1. Jennifer kept going with a strong start and middle to game 6. She fell off the pace a bit, allowing Panda to threaten to get back into it, but his shooting was inaccurate, and Jennifer eventually closed for an 8-5 win to move to 5-1 in the series. Jennifer really had to battle with Panda in game 7, as they exchanged makes and misses in about equal portions. Jennifer came up with the win 8-6, taking the series 6-1 to advance the #85 ranked Rotation bid. Jennifer will travel to Maplewood's UPS Hall for the bracket final against the Lumberjacks' Diddley.
Apple Center, Todavía: Easter v. Jasmine. The blue cue tries its hand at Rotation now. Todavía's Easter picked up a sloppy game 1 win by an 8-6 score, although it was hardly pretty. She took advantage of Freedom's Jasmine doing as poorly, if not worse, and the win gave Easter the 1-0 series lead. The Stills' Easter had very little trouble winning game 2, making a three-ball run early on and staving off the few challenges the Cascades' Jasmine made to grab an 8-2 win to make it 2-0 in the series. Jasmine challenged much more closely, and the first ten balls were split evenly in a back-and-forth manner in game 3. At the end, Easter pulled away a bit, but Jasmine caught her and took an 8-7 win with a three-ball run-out that saw a variety of pace and angle for her win, making it 2-1 in the series. Jasmine belted a five-ball run from the start of game 4, with the impressive rally sustaining her offense for quite awhile. Easter made a three-ball run as she tried to get back into it, but Jasmine made the 10-14-12 combination to the top right to ice the 8-3 win and tie the series at 2 with a dominant performance. Jasmine kept up the good play with a six-ball run in game 5, giving her another big lead at the start of a game, and she had a double-pot of the 3 and 10 to the right corners mixed in there. Easter shot back with a four-ball run to get on the board, and chipped closer before Jasmine shut the door for an 8-6 win, going ahead with a 3-2 series lead in the process. Easter owned the early part of possession in game 6, but Jasmine was unafraid to rally back with a four-ball run to tie the game in its late stages. Easter stemmed off this attack, making the last two shots to win 8-6, retying the series at 3. Jasmine appeared to be slowly running away with game 7, building up a 5-0 lead at one point. Then, Easter pulled off one of the greatest individual efforts ever, rallying for an eight-ball run-out to come from behind and steal an 8-5 win for a 4-3 series win. Ranked #28 in Rotation, Easter heads east to face the Gems' Citrus at Diamond's Intel Center in the bracket final. Jasmine is the 83rd player out of the tournament, and Easter has her first kill.
Hopefully, if we can keep up with the pace, the round will end tomorrow.
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